Trigun: A Sky So Blue
by Lee Richardson
Summary: This is a continuation of the anime series of Trigun, not the manga series. It begins a number of months after the Vash/Knives battle and describes Vash's continuing life after his greatest battle... Or so he thinks. This may be long, but please R
1. 40 Billion and Counting (Part One)

Trigun A Sky So Blue  
  
"Just think fellas. Once we reach Tilaru Rock, the 100 billion double dollars is ours!"  
  
A young man, probably in his late twenties, yells this as he thrusts his pistol into the air. This was his version of a rally cry. Though unorthodox at best, the simple speech did the trick. The ten other men with him, all varying in size and strength, just as their guns differed, let out a shout of confidence, an assurance that their very lives were staked on.  
  
It had been over two months since the battle between Vash and Knives. No one knew of Knives; they just knew Vash had been involved and had destroyed another plot of land. Since the aptly named "Dust Bowl Explosion", Vash had been "promoted" another 40 billion double dollars to the title of the "100 Billion Double Dollar Man", in actuality, that much money didn't exist in the seven, five rather, cities. The bounty was more of an ostracizing title, a mark of death and shame. The public at large now feared him more than any storm or typhoon. In fact, paranoia of the Humanoid Typhoon had run so rampant that, bounty hunters kept at least a hundred iles distance from where he was rumored to be. This little ragtag group would be the first since the chaos.  
  
How they found out about Vash's whereabouts, would probably remain a mystery. The human disaster had gone as far from the "Dust Bowl Explosion" as he could, to a town, Tilaru Rock, that had only heard vague rumors about his prestige and legend. Vash had been going about daily life under an assumed name along with the "two insurance girls". Meryl and Milly had both seen past the confines of their work by this time and had decided to accompany Vash in an alliance that ranged from a secret love to comradery in a fallen friend. The two women had been working for money while Vash tended to the recuperating Knives. All in all, the four were doing well in this small town, but like usual, trouble followed Vash no matter how far he ran.  
  
The band of eleven, or as they call themselves the "Eleventh Commandment", had come a long way to follow a simple rumor. They were originally based in Augusta before it was destroyed and had wandered in that general vicinity since. The group got the rumor that Vash was at Tilaru Rock through an unknown source, but it had turned out true. After six days of traveling, they were finally at the edge of town, but to further illustrate their blasphemous irony, they rested for another day, the seventh, before they moved in. It is the eighth day and, after the speech, they head off.  
  
After a few stops to find out where Vash is staying, it doesn't take the band long to reach the house. The street it is on is silent, no one moves about and no one is outside except for the bounty hunters. They quickly form a less than superior plan and put it into action. The men mostly stand around the door and wait as the largest takes one charge into it to throw the door from its hinges. All eleven men then charge in one by one, firing shots everywhere.  
  
  
  
  
  
40 Billion and Counting  
  
  
  
It is a beautiful day; one of those days when you wish you could just take off work and enjoy the life around you. The sky is as blue as the water that is always so rare on this planet. The clouds in the sky aren't dark and ominous, but rather, pearly white, a color that begged for peace in the hellish world. That peace seems to be in Tilaru Rock.  
  
"Ah man, what a beautiful day! The sky's so blue and the temperature's just right. I'm so glad we're able to relax on such a gorgeous day!"  
  
Vash the Stampede, the man feared by everyone, taking in the blue sky. If his identity were to be more well know, it would seem horribly ironic, but he has changed a lot since a couple of months prior. Without his infamous red coat, he humbles himself by wearing a simple white button up shirt, blue jeans, and boots. The scar on his right hand is visible to all and his left prosthetic arm seems more real than his actual arm. He has also changed his hair since the "Dust Bowl Explosion". Now his long blonde locks fall straight down along the frame of his face. Parted down the middle, it reminds him greatly of the days he spent as Eriks. The Humanoid Typhoon has also let a moderate five o' clock shadow come through. All in all, the only things that show through of his old self are his green eyes and his sunglasses, which he has kept. One last thing has changed. He carries both black and silver Colt-45 six-shooters at his sides, on show to the entire world. At the moment, the shunned hero carries two brown paper grocery bags.  
  
"Yeah, it's relaxing when you're making the women do all the work!"  
  
Meryl Strife hasn't changed at all. Her white attire stayed as much as her bitter attitude. She follows Vash closely behind with five bags in her hands. Along side her, Milly Thompson follows with five bags as well. Milly has changed in the two months and probably has made up for Meryl's lack of diversity. The tall, slow-witted girl that Vash and Meryl knew has sprouted into something new since Wolfwood's death. For one thing, her usually humorous self rarely let itself be seen anymore. She has become very intellectual and candid, but has lost her outgoingness. She has also lost her thought that the world is naturally good. Now she is less trustful of those she doesn't know. Not only all this, but Milly has also gone through physical changes too. Her long, flailing hair now is tied behind her in a ponytail. The clothes she used to wear have been replaced with plain black pants and a dark green shirt. Overall, Milly has become an almost darker person.  
  
Vash, being his usual self, moronically asks, "Huh? What do you mean?"  
  
About to bite his head off, Meryl opens her mouth to chew him out, but her tall friend cuts her off with, "Yeah, we could use a little help here, Mr. Va-- I mean, Mr. Paul."  
  
The Humanoid Typhoon turns and begins walking backwards, each step kicking up a little dust. He says sarcastically, "But we're already home. What's the point?" With a quick turn, he begins walking forward again with a large smirk on his face, while Meryl begins to turn a deep red out of anger behind him.  
  
As the trio approaches their home, the two women, mainly Meryl, continue to complain about Vash not helping more. In response, Vash begins to whistle a familiar tune (Sound Life). They continue to grow closer to their stay when, suddenly, Vash drops the two bags he was carrying. The food, ranging from donuts to pudding to cheese, spills out of the bags and onto the dusty ground. Immediately Meryl shouts, "What are you doing? That's good food!" Milly, in response, simply looks at her pudding, pouting.  
  
Vash, ignoring the shouts of Meryl, rushes to their home and, namely, to the doorway with the door broken off the hinges. An expression of horror slowly spreads across Vash's face as the possibilities of what could be inside fly through his mind. When he takes a closer look, he sees the bullet holes lining the walls. By this time, Milly and Meryl have caught up to him, also setting their bags on the ground, but much gentler. They too see the bullet holes and begin to go in, but Vash stops them by putting an arm out in front of them both.  
  
"Huh? What are you doing? We've got to check it out!" says Meryl in her normal loud tone.  
  
Vash replies with dead seriousness, "I'll check it out. It's too dangerous for you two to go."  
  
"Are you kidding?! We've been through Hell and back with you. I think we can handle a few bullet holes!"  
  
Vash, without answering, begins to head in cautiously. His eyes move side to side, checking for anything or anyone that may shoot at him. As expected, Meryl begins to follow, but Vash yells, "Stay back!" Instantly, all three are reminded of the days before the "Dust Bowl Explosion". The air seems to cool in the presence of Vash's worry and anger. With this, comes an ominous feeling as Vash notices smoke still rising from the bullet holes. Fear, unrelenting fear begins to spawn inside of him. Thoughts of Knives finally awakening with a bloodlust greater than that of terran vampires fill Vash's mind to the point of insanity. He can't help but ask himself if it would all start again. All these thoughts and questions, they all race through his conscience with the first step. After that, his mind begins to clear. Each step brings to him a focus on the fight at hand rather than Knives' resurgence.  
  
Meryl and Milly, both scared by the anger arising in Vash again, become planted to the ground. They don't dare move any closer even though neither of them fully understands yet. As the duo watches Vash disappear into the house, Meryl begins to have a revelation as to the reasons behind his sudden apprehension. She says very quietly, "Milly, I think I understand."  
  
The tall counterpart, in her newfound astuteness, responds just as hushed, "Yeah, I think I know too, Meryl. If Mr. Knives has woken up, then there might be another fight."  
  
Showing her growing tension, Meryl asks, "Do you think we should get away while we can? Should we tell the townspeople?"  
  
In a display of her determination, which she had owned long before ever meeting Vash or Meryl, Milly says, "No, Meryl. We've come this far. We've got to trust Mr. Vash will be able to handle it."  
  
"Yeah, Milly, I guess you are right. I-I just thought that it had all ended. I mean I was just mustering up the strength to tell him."  
  
Meanwhile, Vash has been checking the house as the girls talk. As of yet, he's only found bullet holes in the two-story house. It's a modest home at best, but it has three bedrooms: One for Vash, another for Knives, and the largest for Milly and Meryl. It's built with brick, seeing as Tilaru Rock has so little wood in it, but it retains an aura about it that needs nothing ostentatious to still show it's craftsmanship. All in all, the house serves very well for the four, three if you don't include Knives, even with their lack of "homey touches". There are some personal decorations in the home. These things range from letters to Milly and Meryl to a large picture of a plain donut. Vash passes a number odds-and- ends and checks a few rooms before he enters the actual living room. It's the largest room of the house and the sight of it makes Vash's mind and body freeze. The room is barely standing and has the lights off; so many bullets have punctured the walls. The furniture, two chairs, a table, and a couch, have all but been destroyed. The couch, covered by a fabric more native to the planet, has been torn literally to shreds. The fabric is now scattered across the floor and only the frame is left lying on it's back. The table has been crushed by something landing on top of it. As for the two chairs, one has been smashed into the wall, while the other sits in the middle of the room, perfectly intact. In this remaining piece of furniture, sits Knives. The light from other rooms barely lets him be seen. He's facing so that his back is to Vash. His clothes remain the same, the same odd jump suit as before. Vash guesses that his brother had found it among the clothes Vash had bought him.  
  
Knives, not showing at anxiety or anger at all, rather acting innocent, turns around in the chair. It becomes apparent to Vash that he holds a small pistol in his right hand. Fear shoots up Vash's spine as he reaches for one of his guns. His brother, however, waves at Vash with his left hand when he's completely turned. In a kind, almost compliant, voice, Knives says, "Hey Vash, good timing." Vash doesn't respond, but he does begin to take note of the things around and behind Knives. Next to the revitalized brother, there's a strange pile of guns and weapons, all ranging in size and use.  
  
A small, frightened voice that is apparently talking to Knives enters the ominous moment with, "Wh-What? You're not Vash the Stampede?"  
  
At this, Vash's patience disappears. He flicks the lights on to understand what's going on. The sight he sees terrifies him more than just seeing Knives awake with a gun. Along the farthest wall, which was completely blotted out by shadows, is a line of men tied up and visibly beaten. In total there's eleven; it is the "Eleventh Commandment". Though Vash himself doesn't know of the gang, the fear for their lives still courses through him. Before he can react in anyway, Knives calmly says, "These men came here looking for you. I told them you weren't here, but they insisted I was Vash the Stampede."  
  
A large murmur grows from the gang, all the comments consisting of fear. Some of these include, "He's Vash the Stampede?" "Think of what the other did to us! The Humanoid Typhoon will kill us!" and "Am I gonna die?" The expressions of the men also show their fear; many had broken out into a cold sweat by now; the others either shiver or are perfectly still.  
  
The one they fear and speak of, Vash the Stampede, can't hold back any longer. He rushes to their sides and begins to untie each one as the men he's helping try to kick or push him away out of fear. In a few minutes, Vash has finished; he stands back and looks at the group. Fear and confusion have gripped them even tighter. Most can't stand due to wounds evidently inflicted by Knives; those who can stand are too afraid to move.  
  
As Vash's anger begins to increase, Knives methodically adds from behind him, "You know, I only let them live because they wanted to speak to you. Or maybe I should kill the worthless garbage while I still have the chance?" At this, Vash spins around, a look of pure seriousness on his face, and has his silver pistol in his hand in a flash. He points it straight at Knives. In response, Knives only smiles and continues, "Oh, did I strike a nerve? Did you really think all that pathetic philosophy you told me while I slept would have any affect? When are you going to rid yourself of that imperfection's idealologies?"  
  
The air slowly becomes tenser and tenser as the conflict between these two brothers seems to spawn itself in its surroundings. With the still smoking bullet holes, destroyed furniture, and occasional whimper of a grown man, it seemed the two angels had created their own piece of Hell. As Vash begins to speak, his voice resounds through the room, echoing much more than any other voice had before. He forcefully says, "You all. Get out now!" The invitation is most likely the greatest gift the "Eleventh Commandment" has ever received. It's amazing the strength of men fleeing for their lives. Knives's guns may give angels wings, but it's fear that gives men wings. Those who couldn't stand before ran for their lives, blood coming from every single one of them; they don't care though, they're alive and that's all that matters. The men leave as quickly as they entered, rather, more quickly. They fly out the door, blazing past Meryl and Milly. One gang member has even acquired a black cat attached to his shoulder for the ride. As the cat passes the two girls, it lets out a small "meow". For a moment, the two girls only stand there and blink, both of their minds complete blanks, until Meryl finally chimes in, "What in the world was that about?"  
  
Milly, though in her usual high-pitched voice, says seriously, "Meryl, I'm pretty sure there's a fight going on."  
  
Without even thinking, Meryl quickly says, "You're right Milly! We've got to help him!"  
  
Before Meryl can run in though, her counterpart stops her with, "But didn't Mr. Vash tell us to stay here?"  
  
Already in the door with two of her pistols drawn, Meryl calls over her shoulder, "There's no time for that now Milly. We have to do what's right!"  
  
In the mean time, the standoff continues inside, but not between guns, between psyches. Vash, motionless in his expression and unwavering in his aim, continues to be locked on his brother. Knives, however, is just the opposite; he sits in a slouched position with a wide smirk on his face, not even bothering to raise his gun at Vash. He finally says in an overconfident tone, "Do you really want to fight me again? Are you that moronic? I know you won't kill me and, even if you do fight me, you'd kill everyone in this town. Now, put your gun away; quit taking me for a fool." Vash keeps his gun set on Knives, praying that he won't move. At this, Knives adds, "How disappointing. Is that any way to treat your own brother? Fine, I'll leave you be for now, but don't stop and think that I'm done with you. I would just rather spend my time with loyal brethren instead of such an unappreciative brother."  
  
Just at this moment, Meryl and Milly charge into the room with their weapons drawn; they freeze when they see the two. The same fear that gripped Vash before now takes a hold of them, but much stronger. Their minds numb and cannot think; the hair on the back of their necks stands, their breath short and timid. Knives looks at them as they enter; he smiles at them with a hidden agenda just behind the color of his eyes.  
  
Vash takes this moment to finally respond; he says in a serious tone, almost alien to his own, "Brethren? We don't have any kin here, Knives."  
  
Looking back at Vash, Knives says with a straight face, "Yes we do, in every plant on this planet, where our blood is being fed off of by these deficient beings you call humans."  
  
In a moment of anger and confusion, Vash asks in a more agitated tone, "What?! What do you plan on doing? Destroying the plants? Those are what let these people live here!"  
  
"Exactly. I'll let them die slowly while I reacquaint myself with our kith and kin, but I must leave you now, Vash the Stampede, time for me to start. Maybe you'll understand once this is all over." Knives then quietly turns around in his chair; in one simple motion, he raises the pistol and fires a shot at Meryl. The bullet flies clean, hitting the target it was aimed for: Meryl's right leg. Blood shoots out the front and back of her upper thigh as the bullet passes straight through her.  
  
Meryl's eyes widen as the pain of burnt away nerves begins to shoot through her; Milly and Vash join in the expressions amazement and horror, but they have no time to comprehend what just happened. Knives moves the gun to left some, aims at Milly, and fires another perfect shot, but this time Vash has time to react. Everything seems to slow down as Vash points his gun at Milly as well, maybe just a hair off, and fires. Due to Vash's gun's higher quality and custom craftsmanship, his bullet catches up with Knives's in the time they both skim through the air. Both projectiles continue to approach at high speeds, fast enough to hide what really happens. A few feet from Milly, the bullets collide in a small spark, but large bang; the metal pieces fly around Milly, forcing her to protect her face. Knives's eyes widen for a moment at Vash's defensive maneuver, but he quickly hides his shock and smirks as Vash passes by him to kneel next to Meryl.  
  
Milly, also bending over Meryl, asks hurriedly, "Meryl, are you okay?"  
  
Injured and bleeding, Meryl now lays on the ground in the hands of Vash; she says quietly, "I-I think I'm alright."  
  
Vash, visibly angered, says, "You'll be fine. The bullet passed straight through." He then rips off a piece of his sleeve and wraps it around her wound as Meryl asks if that's a good thing. Ignoring her question, Vash rises and turns with his gun; he points directly at Knives, except for one problem. Knives is no longer in the chair, rather, he's no longer anywhere; he's disappeared without a trace. Vash, expecting the next event, reaches for the black Colt-45 six-shooter, but finds it too has vanished. He holsters the silver pistol, turns back to the girls, and says, "Lets get you to a hospital."  
  
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"Are. Are we far enough yet?"  
  
The "Eleventh Commandment", now dwindled down to four, makes their way across the desert. They had fled with all their lives and, the seven missing members, had lost theirs. While the sun blazes upon them, the grim survivors hobble across sand dunes, stirring the dust around them. Three of them follow the previous leader who now is in the worst shape of all. He reaches the top of a large sand dune with the others a few feet behind; in the blink of an eye, the leader flies black on the other three, knocking them down the hill they had just climbed. Over the dune, steps Knives with the black Colt-45 six-shooter in his right hand. All four gang members stumble to their knees and gawk at their assailant. Knives remains dressed the same except he has brown rags that cover most of his body to protect him from the wind and sand. He smiles and laughs darkly at them, raising the hair on the back of their necks and forcing the fear of death upon them.  
  
Knives says in an ominous tone, "What? You think I'd let pathetic trash like you live? It's too bad your friends were killed by the desert; it gives me more pleasure to kill you vermin myself." With that he lifts up his gun and fires six shots, three into two of the men, but not hitting any vital parts. He hits both gang members in the shoulders and right leg. Yawning, Knives reloads his gun as the other two try to run. He fires bullets into them the same fashion. He smiles and says, "Thought I'd give you the gift of death? Ha! You'll die in pain like the trash you are."  
  
The men groan in pain as they stain the sand red with their own blood and soak it with their tears. None of them have the strength to speak; all they can do now is struggle and try to move. They don't get very far though. Each one dies slowly and painfully under Knives's watchful eyes. He smiles as they fade from this existence and into the next. After such a morbid act, Knives simply reloads his gun and walks off.  
  
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Elsewhere, Vash, Meryl, and Milly are in the town's hospital. To be more specific, they're all in Meryl's room. Doctors have already stitched the wound up, but many more distressing matters are at hand. A large crowd, most of the town, has formed outside the hospital; they yell and scream for Vash to leave their town before anymore damaged is caused, of course, Vash feels at fault. He sits in the corner of the white room on the floor as Milly stands next to Meryl's bed. The two women chat amongst themselves, not realizing Vash's ominous tone; they also don't seem to grasp the danger of the situation. Finally, Meryl lifts up to a sitting position and asks Vash, "What's he going to do now?"  
  
"Now? Now he's going to go between cities and destroy the plants." Vash says this without looking up. He stares at the ground, deep in thought as to what to do.  
  
Both women look horribly fearful; each letting their own thoughts fly through their head. Milly finally responds in a deeply serious tone far from her norm, "He's going to murder everyone as slowly as he can, isn't he?"  
  
"Yeah, that's right. That's why I've got to follow him."  
  
Meryl yells, almost falling out of her bed, "But how do you know where he's going? Why would you want to fight him again? What can you do?"  
  
"I don't know where he's going to go and no I don't want to fight him, but what else can I do? I've got to save the people he'll kill. I have to leave now though and you're in no condition to walk."  
  
"Then I'll ride a Thomas! Don't you dare leave us again!"  
  
"I've got to. You need time to heal and I need time to prepare. I'll come back when I'm ready. I'm sure you'll be fine by then." With that, Vash rises and goes to the window. They're on the second story and the window faces away from the angry mob. He opens it, looks out, and sits on the windowsill.  
  
Milly begins to walk to Vash as she says, "Mr. Vash, we can work together and find him. I know it. It's. It's what he would want." Everyone freezes for a moment at the reference to Wolfwood. This is the last thing any of them want to remember; the trio's wounds still haven't healed from his death. Vash feels this guilt more than any of them.  
  
"Don't follow me. I'll come back for you all. Either stay here or leave a path for me to follow." Vash then turns to the two. He smiles widely and emptily as he adds, "Well, later!" With that, the wanted man drops backwards out of the window, doing a flip in the air and almost landing on his feet, but ends up doing a belly flop into the dirt. With a childish moan of pain, he gets up as Milly looks out the window and as five townsfolk round the corner to see him. Vash sees the men and grumbles, "Oh, juste merveilleux." (French for Oh, just wonderful). They immediately call for others and begin to shoot at the Humanoid Typhoon. In response, Vash scrambles away, taking cover behind buildings, cars, and rocks. As he dodges bullets and scampers around like a mad man, Vash yells, "Pourquoi faire chose aimer ce toujours arriver à moi?" (French for Why do things like this always happen to me?) "Ah! Talk about deija vou! Why am I whining in French again?"  
  
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A few hours and twenty iles later, Vash walks by himself through the barren desert. He carries his normal brown bag slung over his shoulder; he had grabbed it on his way out of the riot. Things seem really bleak around him; the only green in miles is his eyes, which are covered by his sunglasses. He looks around every now and then, trying to find something other than sand. With nothing else to do, he talks to himself, whining loudly, "Man, why can't I ever get any down time? If it's not Knives, then it's bounty hunters. If it's not bounty hunters, then it's psycho townspeople. What'd I ever do to them? Nothing. Well, that's not true. I did destroy July and Agusta, but those things weren't my fault. I need to find a woman and settle down somewhere. Yeah, that's right. Maybe I'll just forget Knives and get a girl. Hmmm. Who though? Meryl? No, she's too loud and clingy, even if she does look like Rem. Hey, I know! That plant worker gal! Yeah, she was a babe, but. Then again, she did try to kill me. Man, why do all the good chics have to hurt me? Hmmm. You only hurt the ones you love." Vash goes on to sing that song for ten agonizing minutes. Thankfully, nothing alive is in earshot. He continues on with his mindless babbling, "Wait, there's that marshal girl who I helped. Mary- Anne, wasn't it? Huh? What am I saying?! She'd turn me in for the bounty! Think Vash, you dummy. She's a cop! Hmmm. Who else? Jessica? No, I'd think of Brad every time I looked at her. This is pathetic. Meryl's actually looking good. No, the plant worker chic is defiantly higher up than her. Yeah. Hmmm." Vash quiets for now and walks along the barely visible path he has been. Things seem ominous even though he's the only thing in iles. His only companions are the two suns bearing down on him. For a long time, nothing happens except Vash moving forward, until a slight wind begins to blow. It whistles through his legs, seemingly unimportant, but it somehow reminds him of Knives. With this remind, Vash begins to talk to himself again, "Damnit Knives. Why'd you have to stay the same? I did everything for you and you come back to try and kill humanity again. If I knew this was going to happen, I'd have probably left you in the desert. What? No I wouldn't. Not after my mistake with Legato. Then how am I supposed to stop you Knives? How do you want me to take care of him Rem?" Vash pauses for another long period, thinking of Rem. He breaks the silence as he pulls out his silver pistol with, "I should have never got the guns. You called them your siblings, so I thought you might heal faster, Knives."  
  
About a month prior to Knives's awakening, Vash had been confused as what to do. The insurance girls weren't able to find work and Knives seemed to be getting worse. It was all he could think of, so he took the week long round trip back to the "Dust Bowl Explosion". He felt guilty for leaving all three, but it had to be done, even if it meant Knives waking without him there.  
  
When Vash arrived at the battleground, he began to search for the guns and his coat, though the latter was only a bonus if he could find it. He spent an extra four days combing through the dirt there. On the last of those days, he found the two Colt-45 six shooters laying on each other as if clinging to one another. Without finding his coat, Vash brought the guns with him, taking another few days to get back. Things seemed to get better when he got back. The girls got good paying jobs and Knives was looking better each day. Even Vash felt relieved by the presence of his gun, which he had tried to forget. It was peaceful for a month, until all this started.  
  
In the present, however, Vash still walks alone in the desert, thinking. He looks up into the two suns and says out loud, "Guess the guns did help, but that all doesn't matter anymore. Knives, I won't let you kill any more people. I'll show you who's the supreme being. And it won't be us."  
  
Commercial Break! 


	2. 40 Billion and Counting (Part Two)

Trigun A Sky So Blue  
  
And We're Back!  
  
Another twenty iles and a number of more hours, Vash arrives at his destination. He still isn't there exactly, but he can see the town of New Denver. The scenery has changed quite a bit since the vast emptiness of the desert. Though no life is in sight as before, the ground is no longer an even sandy turf. It rises in a huge cliff valley around Vash. The bedrock here is high, meaning no worms could attack the town. The cliffs are actually very narrow and extremely high. Vash kicks himself for not walking along the top, but he keeps his slow pace up. By now, the sky has become a dark blue with the stars shining brightly. Not much can be seen from inside the valley, but the hole in the red moon is very visible, making a haunting red tint to everything unfortunate enough to be in the valley.  
  
Vash continues to talk to himself, even after all this time, "Yeah. Note to self: Ride a Thomas. This is taking so long. I can't feel my feet anymore. Man. I'll probably have to sleep outside tonight. It's either that or find a good looking woman to sleep with." He breaks out in a loud laugh at the slim chances of that happening. Things don't really change for the next few minutes; Vash just continues to hold conversations with himself, until, out of pure luck, he looks up. Nothing seems unusual at first, but he looks closer at the sky and notices some of the stars being blocked above the cliff edge. Vash simply smiles and continues walking.  
  
Suddenly, a young boy's voice shouts from behind Vash, "Stop right there! Put your hands up!" Vash complies with this and does what he's told. The boy then orders, "Now, turn around really slowly. No fast movements and don't talk!" Once again, Vash does what he's told until he's looking at the boy straight in the eyes. He has taken off his sunglasses long before now because of the darkness.  
  
Vash smiles widely and says, "I thought I recognized that voice. How ya doing Kaite?" He continues to hold his hands up as he speaks to boy.  
  
Kaite, the child from the Brilliant Dynamites Neon incident, stands before Vash, a few paces away with a small revolver in his hands. He begins to shake at Vash's calmness, but doesn't recognize him at all. The boy says, "I said be quiet! Now, say your name. That's it!"  
  
Vash smiles as he hears more silent footsteps on the cliffs around him. After a long moment he says, "I'm disappointed. You don't remember your old pal, Vash the Stampede?" He then begins to make a pouting face by biting his top lip and crying some. In the meantime, the children who had surrounded Vash now run for their lives back to the crevices they came from.  
  
Kaite blinks widely and mutters, "Geez, he's still nothing but a wimp." Vash asks him what he said, but, of course, he denies he said anything. The boy finally puts the gun away and asks, "What the Hell are you doing here?"  
  
Vash answers with, "I could ask you the same thing, but. Since you asked first, I came here looking for someone, but mainly dodging more bounty hunters. Now, little man, what are you doing here? I figured you'd get out of the crime business."  
  
The boy blinks for a moment, remembering who he's talking to, and says, "Well, I guess I can trust you. You gotta promise not to tell anyone, alright?" Vash makes a serious face and salutes as he says he promises. After recovering from the shock of Vash's stupidity, Kaite says, "Fine. Well, I am outta crime. I work with the sand steaming company. They assigned me to Mei City and I was passing through here, but my car broke down. My driver's been trying to get another car while I've had nothing to do." Vash listens, but he leans against the cliff wall out of slight boredom. The boy continues, sounding slightly annoyed, "Well, I got bored.." He mutters, "Kinda like you are now." Kaite picks his voice back up as he says, "So I came out here and got jumped by this group of kids. I didn't have any money, so they didn't have any use for me. Turns out, they're all orphans from all around. Some came here from as far as the Augusta Ruins. I decided to help them out since they were in such a pinch until my driver gets us going again."  
  
Vash, who's now standing straight up, pauses for a long moment then makes a pouty face and begins to cry. He says in a high-pitched voice, "Don't stories like that tear you up on the inside? Man, it's so sad."  
  
Kaite blinks widely in shock. For a long time, all he can do is stand there. He mutters, "For the love of. He hasn't changed at all," before saying, "Well, there's nothing we can do about it. All we can do is hope for the best."  
  
The Humanoid Typhoon responds with, "Maybe, maybe not, but for now, lets get you back to your inn."  
  
Vash and Kaite both head into town, neither minding a good nights rest. They pass through the town without another word. New Denver is actually a well-developed area. Due to the hard bedrock that is so close to the surface, the plants of the region have to work less to keep sand away. With the extra power, the people of this town have many more commodities compared to most. New Denver was so advanced that many people considered naming it a city with the other seven, five now. The only thing that held it back was the high crime rate. While many people worked stressfully to become rich within the settlement, there are always those that want a fast "rags to riches" life. Unfortunately, New Denver was almost completely comprised of men and women like that. Though, no bandit group owned the town, anarchy ruled the place. It's the worse possible place for a car to break down in; just goes to show the bravery of Kaite. There had been an orphanage here, but a gang had destroyed it a number of months prior, forcing the children to live in the desert cliffs. It seemed like the town was going to rip itself apart before anything or anyone could stop it.  
  
The duo reaches the inn safely after having to take some detours around infamous parts of town. The inn itself is a perfect example of the town's state of affairs. Its bricks are all damaged, worn, and dilapidated. The shutters are all at different angles and different degrees of damage; the door doesn't even exist anymore. After checking in, the two go to Kaite's room, which is in just as bad condition. The bed is a mattress on the floor and the only other piece of furniture is a rickety old chair, both of which have insects crawling on them. Vash blinks at the room as Kaite goes and lies down on the bed. The boy says, "Well, you'd better go get a room and get some sleep before news gets into town about you. Good night and shut the door on your way out."  
  
Vash blinks at Kaite's sudden urge to be alone, but does as he asks. He closes the door as he walks out and down to the main lobby. After purchasing a room for one night, he heads back up stairs and down a hallway. The Humanoid Typhoon stops at his door, but catches a young woman sticking her head out of the door with the corner of his eyes. He smiles and goes into his dismal room for a good night's sleep.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
It is morning; a morning so beautiful that it easily beats the day before. Vash slowly raises from his mattress with his hair an utter disaster. He had changed last night before he went to bed, thanks to the pack he was able to get away with. He stretches, on his feet now, and yawns heavily. His morning attire consists of an off white shirt and a pair of loose pants. As he gets up, Vash realizes that he never met Kaite's driver. He looks around and decides to go to the window and open it. He does this and sticks his head out into the gorgeous day. It seems like there is a little peace today; children are playing in some parts, but, in others, there are gunfights. From his room in the hotel, Vash can see most of the expansive city. He sees the various plants outlining the city in light bulb shapes. As he does, he thinks of ways he can help the orphans today, but, as he does, something happens. Vash notices a light far from the city, barely able to make it out, but watches as the small speck grows closer to the city. It's just now that Vash realizes what it is. He screams at the top of his lungs, "No! Knives!" Just as his voice resounds through the city, the light hits and grows to immense proportions. It engulfs nearly the entire city except the farthest from it, the inn and surrounding buildings. All life inside the blast area is extinguished and the ground shakes with bitter recoil. Buildings vanish in the destruction wrought by Knives while the few survivors outside run away terrified. Hell had just been released on the town, delivered on the wings of an angel.  
  
Vash is now completely distraught. He holds his head in his hands, still in the window, and screams as tears flow freely down his arms. In his mind, everything seems to fade away to blackness except for one shape; a shape growing clearer; a shape of Knives. Resonating in Vash's head, Knives's voice says, "Well, brother? Going to join me yet? They'll all die either way, but it's up to you as to how fast. Join me and we can rid the world of them. Didn't you see how they treat each other? It's the only way. These beings are nothing but a cancerous disease to which we are the cure. Pick up your sibling and join me." Vash shouts a defiant no as the voice fades away. At the same time, the light dissipates, revealing the true nature of the disaster. Unlike previous incidents, nothing is spared. Everything that was touched by the light disintegrated into the air, leaving nothing behind except for a giant crater and a blood stained sky. This was the first time Knives had used the angel arm on live people and it wrought total inhalation on them.  
  
Nothing was right; things were going horribly wrong. Vash falls to the floor, still crying, and says between sobs, "Why? Why's everything going this way? It wasn't supposed to be like this, was it? Well, Wolfwood? Rem? Where'd I go wrong? Should I have really killed him and atoned for my sin? No. Rem, you taught me never to take a life and Wolfwood. You taught me never to regret the decisions we make since we can't take them back." His weeping eases and he only cries as he says, "This is all I can do. I've got to find him and stop him. No matter how. Give me strength Rem, Wolfwood."  
  
Just as he finishes, two people barge into the room, the young woman that looked at Vash from her room the night before and Kaite. Both stare at Vash as he still kneels on the ground, crying. A silence hangs over the room and the entire town. A feeling of utter defeat immerges in every person as the sky seemingly bleeds red tears for the dead; it's color the same crimson that runs through the veins of men. The silence is finally broken by the sound of a baby crying; a sound that echoes through the remnants of the town and chills the bone. Kaite is the first one to speak in the room; he says, "Was-was that you?"  
  
Vash takes a long time to respond; enough time to make Kaite's and the woman's minds wonder. He finally says, "No. It wasn't me, but it'll be blamed on me. Just like they always do." The Humanoid Typhoon finally looks up and notices the girl and asks, "Who are you?"  
  
The young lady, in her early twenties, stands next to and a little in front of Kaite. She is relatively tall for a woman, but doesn't come close to the height of Vash's good friend, Milly. Her hair is waist long and is a shimmering golden color. Most people would probably think it's dyed, but, with a closer inspection, anyone could tell it was natural. The hair falls completely straight down her back and a little at her bangs, but not covering her eyes. The woman's eyes are probably the most intriguing part about her. They are a dark blue that borders on being violet; yet, just around the pupil is a light green that is very noticeable. Along with this, her facial features are very gentle. The slopes of her nose and cheekbones match each other perfectly, molded by her fair and almost flawless skin. She wears a modest dress that tries to hide her body's curves, but fails horribly. If it weren't for Vash's distressed mood, he would have already been all over her. The woman says with a gentle but confidently loud voice, "My name's Brianne Lilly. You must be the Legendary Gunman, Vash the Stampede. What a sight to see you crying over death, over anything for that matter."  
  
Vash doesn't say anything; his eyes are downcast again from both of their faces. He doesn't know what to say; every time he opens his mouth to say something, more tears come. Finally, Kaite steps in front of the woman identified as Brianne and says to her, "That's not true! He might be a wimp and a fool, but I've never seen him kill anyone and I don't think anyone else has. We have to trust that he didn't do it cause he's the probably the only way we'll get out of this God forsaken town."  
  
The Humanoid Typhoon stands at last, the look of grief replaced with pure seriousness. A slight breeze comes through the window, pushing his hair around his face, giving him an almost evil look. He says, "Kaite's right. If I know bandits well enough, they'll be through in less than an hour. We've got to get out of here as soon as possible." Kaite goes to say something along the lines of "That's great" or "Like I said", but Vash continues, "There's something we have to do, though, before we go."  
  
Brianne and Kaite shout in unison, "What?!"  
  
Vash follows up with, "We can't let the orphans here die. We're going to have to help them somehow. Now, if either of you have any ideas on what to do with them, it'd be great if you spoke up."  
  
Everyone is quiet for a long time. They all are in deep thought, wondering what to do with the children. Eventually, Kaite walks over to the window to keep thinking, but sees something. He asks over his shoulder, "Brianne, there's an orphanage at Mei, isn't there?"  
  
She answers softly with, "Yeah, a large one in fact. Why?"  
  
Kaite smirks widely as he points out the window and says, "You think that'll work?" Vash and Brianne go to the window, both taking a side of the boy. They all look out into the dismal carnage that's been brought upon the town, but then follow Kaite's gaze to a large green object. The two adults don't understand what it is through the sand being blown through the wind. After a moment or two, the wind dies away and reveals a large green flatbed truck that has been rammed into one of the few surviving buildings. There's a long pause as the possibilities of using the truck fly through each of the trio's heads. Suddenly each of them erupts into a loud uproar, all getting their ideas out at once. Of course, none of them have any clue as to what's being said until Vash yells, "Alright! Hold on!" After Kaite and Brianne hush up, Vash continues, "Here's what we'll do. Kaite, you go round up the orphans and bring them to the truck. Brianne, you go with him and I'll stay and fix the truck."  
  
The two listening blink for a second, then Brianne asks, "Why don't I check the truck out?" Kaite agrees with her and they both wait for Vash's response.  
  
Vash, confused slightly, asks, "What do you know about trucks?"  
  
At this, Kaite, kicks Vash in the shin hard, sending the Humanoid Typhoon hopping around as the boy says, "She's my driver you idiot!" Vash shouts back as to how he was supposed to know. Kaite shrugs and adds, "Not only is she my driver, but she's my body guard. Brianne can take care of herself while she works on the truck." Of course, in her womanly pride, Brianne stands straighter with her head up some at mention of her skill.  
  
Vash regains himself, still rubbing his kicked shin and says, "Alright, Kaite, you get the kids. Brianne, you get the truck ready. I've got something I have to do myself." Both of the listeners ask what he has to do, but Vash only answers with, "You'll find out," before running out on his own, leaving the other two to their jobs.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"I can't believe that spiky head idiot ran off without us. Great, now I have to round up some twenty kids and convince them to follow me. Why's Brianne get the easy job? I could have fixed that dang truck myself."  
  
Kaite walks, more closely to stomps, his way through the valley he had reunited with Vash in. His white T-shirt is now an off white to yellow color due to the wind and sand. With his jeans and shoes in the same condition, he isn't exactly in the best condition, but he's moving at a good speed. After almost a half of an ile of walking, a group of children appear through the sand not far in front of Kaite. They're a ragtag collection of orphans, ranging from thin to chubby, strong to weak, male to female. They stretch across the entire width of the thin valley, all looking grimmer than ever. Kaite calls to them, "Hey guys! I've got great news!"  
  
One of the stronger looking boys, probably in his mid teens, steps foreword from the center and asks, "What? There're empty buildings left over from the blast? We saw you go into to town with him. We saw the explosion! It's just like Augusta. The town's gone thanks to you and that monster, Vash the Stampede.  
  
Stopping in his tracks, Kaite stares widely. He never expected them to react like this. Thoughts fly through his head as to what to say, but all he gets out is, "No, you've got it wrong."  
  
The same teenage boy says in a louder tone, "Got what wrong? We saw him. We saw the Humanoid Typhoon and we saw you go with him. You're as much to blame!" The rest of the children remain silent, staring coldly at the accused.  
  
Kaite shouts, "You're wrong! Vash wants to help you all and so do I! We've got a truck that can fit us all and we're planning to go to Mei City. It can fit you all too! It's one of those slow flatbeds. I've always steered you right before, why would I change now? You've got to trust me!"  
  
A low murmur rises from the crowd of children as they try to decide what to do. Minutes go by and the orphans form a circle as they continue to debate. Meanwhile, Kaite grows more and more anxious. He realizes that the bandits will be right on their heels if the gang doesn't hurry up. He speaks up, with, "We've got to hurry you all! Time is wasting! And the bandits could be here any minute!"  
  
With this comment of bandits, the discussion becomes louder and more heated. Minutes pass as more and more of the children decide to go with Kaite until it becomes a unanimous decision. The apparent spokesperson, the teenage boy, steps towards Kaite as the other orphans reform their line. The boy says in all seriousness, "We'll trust you, but if Vash the Stampede does end up killing us, we'll haunt you to you're death."  
  
Now pressured by time and people, Kaite quickly agrees to it and begins to lead the crowd into town. He and the other children jog at a light pace at his goading. The group quickly regains time as they begin to get closer and closer to the town and their freedom.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Meanwhile, Brianne begins to inspect the truck. Still using a bit of her natural grace, she circles the vehicle and the building it's rammed into a few times. She smirks at the condition and says to herself, "Well, the frame looks better than I thought it would. I might have to straighten the front right tire, but I'll save that for last. Guess I should start underneath." She slowly and carefully lowers herself to the ground on her back and tries to get under the truck, but hears her dress rip. In anger, the woman rises and tears the garment from her body, revealing her dressed in much more contemporary clothing. This includes tight black leather pants, a white tank top that would fit better if it were a size bigger, and a small tattoo of a rose on her right shoulder. With the dress removed, Brianne easily slides under the truck and begins to inspect it.  
  
Unfortunately, the underside of the truck isn't as appealing as the frame. A good portion of the metal had been chipped or cracked while, what few wires there were, are completely cut through. Brianne sighs heavily, knowing the job would take a good hour for even her. She begins to talk to herself as she works, "Well, this is great. I'm leading a kid around and taking orders from the Legendary Gunman. Can things get any worse? Hmmm. Yeah, probably if whatever destroyed the city comes back. What was that? Only Vash could have done something that disastrous. He's got to be holding something back from us. I think it'd be better for Kaite if we get away from that menace as soon as possible. And if there's really another explanation for it? The farther the better from Vash. Seems like trouble only follows that fool. Maybe we can ditch him in the desert." While she's said these various comments, she finishes with the undercarriage of the truck.  
  
With pauses in her talking to herself and lack of proper tools, Brianne has already exhausted and hour of time. She climbs out from under the truck, a few stains on her tank top, but none taking anything away from her appealing looks. She smiles slightly at her own ingenious as to be able to fix such a torn up vehicle. After taking a few minutes break and finding a drink of water, she opens the hood of the truck and gets to work. Over all the engine and adjacent machinery looked fine. Merely a few simple corrections and the truck would be finished. Brianne works diligently from here on; she knows one wrong move and they'd all be stuck walking with bandits. Just as she finishes with the last minor flaw, it hits her and she says out loud, "Bandits? Shit! They're probably already here. Where are Kaite and Vash?"  
  
"Your wish is my command." Kaite stands a few feet away from the truck with the ragged orphans behind him. He adds a command to the children, "Alright, guys, get in the back and get ready." With that, the group moves to the truck with a loud commotion and gathers in the back of the flat bed. The orphans almost completely fill the back up except for a few feet of space, Vash's pack, and a long metallic pole with some leather grip on it. They, of course, question Kaite and Brianne about it, but Brianne tells them to not worry about it.  
  
Things seem to be going well for the odd crowd, everything except the fact that Vash was still gone. This doesn't both Brianne though; she tells Kaite to get in the passenger's seat while she gets in the driver's side and begins to hot wire it. After a few minutes, she tries to start the engine, but it makes a loud murmur and cuts off again. She tries the engine five more times, then gets out and goes under the hood to see what's wrong. In a minute, her voice screeches through the still blood red stained sky, "Shit! Of all things! Why's it have to be out of gas?!" Kaite gets out and goes to her side as she says, "There's nothing we can do, unless there just happens to be some gas around here." This leads to a fifteen-minute search of the area, even the orphans look, but no fuel is found. They all lean against or lie in the truck. It seems hopeless to think anything can be done and, for a long time, they're right.  
  
The twenty or so sit there, hopes crushed, for over an hour. They constantly complain, cry, or argue; they all know the bandits will come through anytime, in fact, they are surprised at their absence. Most of the survivors expect to die by the criminals anyways, so Brianne and Kaite aren't going to be surprised if they die by their hands. The largest conversations that take place are which bandit clans would attack the remnants of the town, which of the people near the flatbed would be the first to die, and who would be the last. The last one isn't hard. Everyone figures that the heartless fools will keep Brianne alive, for a while. Overall, morale is at an all time low for all the people's lives. It's at this low that the miracle happens. The "alliance" of children and adult are sitting around the truck when they hear gunshots. With this, the littlest of the orphans begin to cry, knowing their impending doom. The others try to toughen up and prepare to fight to the death. Meanwhile, off in the distance, a dust cloud grows closer and closer. They of course figure it's the bandits, but as it gets closer they start to notice a little blonde, until Kaite shouts out, "It's Vash!" All the children and even Brianne stand to get a better look.  
  
Sure enough, it's Vash running straight towards them, probably setting a land speed record. He has two canisters in his hands and, as he approaches, it turns out that the dust is from gunshots around him. Behind him, the onlookers are barely able to make out two black jeeps, each with four men and four automatic weapons. Vash continues at them until he's about ten yards away. From here, he chucks the sealed canisters at the flatbed, hitting Kaite in the chest with both at the same, sending him back at least two feet and on his back. Vash then turns around to face the jeeps as they roar towards him, bullets still whizzing by.  
  
While Vash stands up to the bandits, Brianne helps Kaite up. She checks him over to make sure he's okay, but finds nothing wrong except a slight bruise. She says, "Well, I guess you're pretty tough."  
  
Kaite respond with, "Of course I'm tough! Now, what the hell is in these things? They weigh a ton!" He motions to the canisters he has trouble lifting with both hands, let alone one.  
  
Brianne takes a closer look and opens one to smell what's inside. When she does, her eyes light up and she says, "It's gas!"  
  
With an evil smirk, Kaite says, "Oh, I didn't know you liked flagellant men. You and Vash would be good for each other." He laughs loudly before being smacked in the face. He says poutingly, "Ow. Alright, alright. You want to get it in the truck already?"  
  
Brianne goes to say a rude comment, but is stopped short by a thunderous crash. They both look back at Vash to see the leading jeep rammed into a near by building, the men sprawled out on the ground, not seriously injured. Vash stands there with his gun in hand as the other jeep roars towards him. He shouts, "Can't we all just get along? You know, love and peace kind of stuff?"  
  
With the orphans all in the back of the flat bed cheering, the two others ignore Vash's stupidity and drag the canisters to the gas cap. It takes them a little bit of arguing and a little bit of work, but they fill the gas tank. With that done, they jump into the truck's cab and start the engine.  
  
Vash, still playing a suicidal game of chicken with the oncoming jeep, hears the truck start and yells over his shoulder, "Wait for me! I brought the gas; it's the least you could do." After saying that, he reverts his attention back to the vehicle barreling at him. He prepares to shoot when he hears the truck start to roar off. Vash turns and gawks at their ungratefulness. He jumps out of the way of the jeep just in time, landing face down in the dirt. The Humanoid Typhoon looks up just as the truck becomes a spec in the distance. At this, he hits the sand with his fist just as the men get out of their jeep and surround him.  
  
One of the men says, "That's it! I'm gonna kill the little shit. He sifted our gas!"  
  
Another says, "Wait. Maybe he's got some cash on him. Blood stained double dollars aren't worth anything."  
  
The four men begin to lower themselves to Vash's level, but never make it like they want to. In a flash, the man directly in front of Vash gets the butt of his own gun shoved into his face. The man behind Vash gets a swift kick to his groin, leaving only one on each side. These two begins to react by pointing their guns at him, but Vash is simply too fast. He jumps up and yells, "Kiss and make up!" as he pulls them into each other, smacking their heads into one another. All the men fall to the ground at the same time, either unconscious or in too much pain to move. After a moment of looking around, Vash jumps up into the air and lets out a "Whoooohooooo!" He then realizes he needs to get rid of their guns and ammo. With an evil smile, he gets a perfect idea.  
  
A few minutes later, Vash walks away from the knocked out men and makes his way to their parked black jeep. Their guns lie next to them along with countless bullet casings. All their ammo actually lies in two places. Either as bullet casings on the ground or as bullet holes in a near by vacant building. The odd, and probably humorous, side to it is the shape in which the bullet holes are made. They read in the wall, "Love and Peace!" with a small picture of Vash with spiked hair below it. The wind kicks up slightly as Vash hops into the jeep, starts it, and drives off into the setting sun.  
  
Credits  
  
Lee Richardson-Chief, Executive, and Only Writer (Sex Symbol of the New Generation) John Bryant-Executive Editor (Little Man, Big Package) Garrett Williams- Editor (Guy Who Just Says It's Good) Anthony Pomozzii- Editor (Guy Who Got Turned On By Brianne) Pioneer and All the Other Owners- Original Trigun Makers (You People Rule) 


End file.
